


Mystery of The Red X

by Bat_Cat_fan



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, The Batman(2004)
Genre: Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, Found Family, Gen, Mystery, No cussing in the comments please, Trying to be clever with literary allusions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29101218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bat_Cat_fan/pseuds/Bat_Cat_fan
Summary: A thief in a stolen suit decides to make an appearace at one of Gotham's elite galas. Batman and Robin try to unravel his motives when said thief becomes a kidnapper.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Red X, No Romantic Relationship(s), Red X & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	1. Mystery thief Red X

Dick hated Galas; they were boring, long and full of rich people against fun. Bruce was the exception, though, because he's Batman.

Not that anyone here knew that, but he digressed.  
The former circus brat thought it was going to be another boring party. The Gotham Museum was displaying a large rare Jewel of Xenothium called the Red Queen's Heart. It most likely would be stolen tonight's or the next days to come; this is Gotham after all.  
Again this is what Dick was sure of.  
A click and a flash suddenly caught Dick's attention. The jewel hadn't been unveiled yet; so no one was really taking pictures. Especially since there was a 'no pictures allowed' signs on certain exhibits.  
Dick guessed this one kid didn't get the memo. Since he was taking pictures of the displays.

"Hey kid, " the kid jumped three feet in the air and turned around to see Dick. He was younger than Dick. He is maybe eight, or nine? (Dick would be turning fourteen soon.) Had hair as black as his but had timid baby blue eyes. "What are you doing? You're not supposed to be taking pictures yet."

The boy looked apologetic, "er, sorry. My parents said they wanted me to take shots of some of the historical stuff. They like things like that. They're also funding the museum, so they said it's okay."

Dick wasn't sure if he believed him. He was about to ask the kid's name, but an announcement drew his attention away from the small boy.

The lights went out as the PA built mention and had spot lights dancing about.

"Now introducing Gotham museum's newest addition to the geological department. The world's largest Xenothium ever discovered: The Red Queen's Heart!"

The lights stopped at the display case as the cloth covering the jewel lifted. Red sparkles the room as people stared in awe.

"Nice rock, I think I'll take it."

Then with out warning three streaks of red flew toward the case making the glass shimmer. Someone covered in the shadows of darkness, that only Batman and Robin could see. They flipped over to the case and grabbed it's contents without even breaking the glass.

The thief landed right in front of Dick. Red glowed ominously. Then, the kid next to Dick then let off a flash, and that's when Dick saw the white mask with the red 'X'.

Red X turned his attention to the kid and said in a distorted voice: "Big mistake there, shrimp."

That said the boy with camera ran off and Red X gave chase. Dick was going to follow but the lights came back on and people scrambled about blocking his path.

"Dick!" Bruce suddenly called him. Said boy then called out to his guardian and said.

"I saw the thief got out through here, he's chasing a kid with a camera."

"That's Timothy!" a woman with mouse brown hair shouted and then shoved he husband. "Jack go after him!"

Jack had dark hair and gray sides. He didn't look to thrilled to go chasing after a thief that was terrorizing his son.

"I'll go with you," Bruce stated and the told Dick to stay put. Then they left.

* * *

Bruce and Jack Drake looked around the exhibits looking any sign the thief or Timothy. 

Bruce knew of Jack Drake back in college. They didn't travel in the same circles, last he heard was Jack had taken over his family's business.

Drake Industries was a very vague company. They funded many different projects from medicine to historical discoveries, amassing a well-off fortune along with absorbing his wife's family company.

The thief that had his son calls himself Red X. He started showing up a month ago. He mainly stole from randomized companies and then out right burning them to the ground. 

Bruce passed by the literature exhibit that display Great Expectations' Estella as a child with Miss Havisham. That's when he spotted the thief gripping the Drake boy. The child was bound and gagged with red bindings.

Trying to sneak up on the two between the displays, Bruce had caught the kid's eye. The boy let out a few muffled sounds. This alerted the thief as he threw shurikens towards Bruce.

"Bruce Wayne. Well, I wasn't expecting you. This kid yours?" The thief said tucking Tim Drake under his arm. "He's pretty light for a rich kid. Seems his folks don't feed him _enough_."

Bruce took a cautious step forward tries to reason with X, "look. You got the camera and the Red Queen's Heart. Now why don't you let the kid go."

"You're in no position to be making demands, old man. Who do you think you are, Batman?" This made Bruce take a step back from what he was implying. Before Bruce could comprehend what was going on Jack Drake came in and tried to charge in after the black clothed fiend.

To keep out of reach, Red X took a large leap on to a humongous open book statue that led to a skylight window.

"You masked freak give me my son back!" Jack yelled as his face contorted in rage.

Red X's stance grew casually pensive, "hm. Nah, I think I'll keep him, after all I could use a sidekick. What do you say kid want to be my Robin?" The masked villain asked Timothy.

"Sorry that name's taken." Red X turned his head to the glass ceiling to see Robin above him. The boy Wonder then kicked him in the head as he flew backwards. then Tim and the Jewel flew out of his grip. In the flash of a second, the white masked vigilante lifted a palm and shot out another red X forming an elastic net around the around the open page book statue catching Tim Drake. 

On the other hand, it had sent out an elastic whip grabbing the large jewel. As the whip retracted to his waiting Palm, the thief disappeared suddenly in a wave of static.

Confused Robin looked around on top of the statue to figure out where he had gone. Then as Bruce Wayne and Jack Drake were trying to untie Tim off the statue, Red X reappeared behind Robin and kicked him off the side of the statue.

Taken by surprise Robin quickly took out his grappling gun and shot it off. This allowed him to safely land on the ground.

Then Red X once again resurfaced around Robin and tried to attack him each masked vigilante blocking each other's punches and kicks.

Red X was taller than Robin. His attacks held more force, while Robin relied more on his agility by flipping and kicking. Robin and Red X right now were at a stalemate. That's when Robin started to question him.

"Who are you and why are you after this kid?"

"If I wanted you to know that, you think I'd be wearing a mask? And as for the kid..." Robin suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground and then flipped over a red X's shoulder and slammed on his back against the hard floor. Knocking the Boy Wonder out. "That's also personal."

Bruce and Jack almost had him free when suddenly Red X jumped in between the two and then quickly grabbed the ball by the shirt of his collar and tearing him away from the elastic red net. He then jumped through window. Before he left though he turned around and gave one last taunt.

"So long Drake, I'll make sure a Timmy's _well_ taken care of and by the way thanks for the suit." Then he, the boy and jewel disappeared in a flash of light.


	2. “For all evils there are two remedies - time and silence.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost a week has passed since Tim Drake was kidnapped and a ransom had been made in order to get Tim back. Batman on the other hand finds the Drakes' behavior strange...and The Red Queen's Heart is returned? Robin began to take this case personally.
> 
> Title is a quote from Count of Monte Cristo

Dick frowned watching the news. He grumbled as Alfred was redressing the bandages on his head. An injury suffered for his fight with Red X along with a concussion. It had been almost a week since the gala robbery, and kidnapping of Tim Drake. The media was in a frenzy, requesting for Drake's safe return.

The last thing Dick remember as he laid in the cracked, indented, floor was waking up to Batgirl leaning over him. The GCPD was not too far behind as Gordon and Yin arrived and took Mr. Drake's statements. Bruce made his own cover story of trying to Stall Red X until the police showed up.

Speaking of Bruce he walked in the cave infirmary room with new information. "I just got word from Detective Yin. Red X finally made his demands. He wants five hundred thousand dollars in exchange for Timothy's safe return."

"Half a mil, is he crazy?!" Dick exclaimed in outrage as Alfred paused mid way of cleaning his head wound. the teen wonder flinched at the touch of the gauze.

"Master Richard please hold still, it would be less of a hassle for the both of us." Alfred requested as he then turned his attention to Bruce. "Master Bruce, what of young Timothy's parents, do they plan to pay the ransom?"

"They do but..." Bruce paused pensively. "Their reaction to the demand is odd to say the least."

"They're probably freaking out that some crazy has their kid," Dick pointed out. His parents would do just about anything to make sure he was safe. Bruce for that matter too; Dick had finally accepted Bruce's request to adopt him, but part of him was still unsure if he was just having Bruce replace his own parents.

"That would be a normal reaction, Yin said they seemed more annoyed by the price than getting their son back." Bruce said as he walked over to the Bat-computer and wrote his report of the case.

"Perhaps it's just their fear manifesting itself in anger," Alfred suggested as he finished with the teen's bandaging. 

"Be that as it may, Gordon wants Batman and Robin to be there for the exchange. Part of the request is that Red X asked for Robin to give him the money." Bruce stated as he finished typing.

Dick's jaw dropped as he tried to process Bruce's word, "he wants what now?!"

* * *

Batman and Robin stood in the middle of Robison Park. Standing with them were Gordon and Yin and the Drakes. Batgirl was hidden in the trees as her goal was to help capture Red X. She pressed herself against the wooden trunk, fall leaves swaying in the chilly wind. Everyone looked stressed, each holding their breath as Red X morphed out of the shadows with Tim Drake in tow. His hair frizzy and clothes changed for the colder weather, a yellow hoodie and black sweat pants too big for him, Batman noted. the bangs of his hair covered his eyes as he kept his head low daring not to look at his surroundings. in Tim's arms was his part clothes bundled and wrapped around a large lump.

Red X than spoke up, "you got my money!"

Gordon answered, "we have it. Just don't hurt the boy." 

The thief did something odd, he knelt next to Tim meeting his gaze and whispered something inaudible. Then Tim gave a jerky nod and Red X stood up and shouted out, "okay. Send Dork Wonder and I'll meet him half way."

Robin complied as he walked slowly over and both vigilantes met. Robin then asked, "what's this all for X?"

Red X kept it vague, " not everyone likes to play the big villain, Kid." he then added asking, "How's the head?" This caught Robin off guard and then suddenly X yanked the money case out of his grip. Once again he vanished just as Batgirl threw a trip cord his way. 

"Dang it, he was too fast," she said as Robin looked to Tim.

"Hey, Timothy, right?" the boy quietly nodded. "You okay?" Another nod and Robin gave thumbs up letting the adults know Tim's okay. His parents began to rush over shouting his name. The boy's eyes grew wide fore a flash of a moment.

"STOP!" Tim suddenly screamed. The cheer died down as he continued to say to Robin, "Red X wants to give this to the Commissioner." He then unwrapped it as Robin was blinded by a red shine.

The Red Queen's Heart.

* * *

"Timothy, please, talk to us, darling." Janet Drake asked as her and Tim sat in the interrogation room.

"Can't I just go home? I want to go home." the boy said softly. Tim kept his hand in his lap and didn't dare look anyone in the eye as he stared at the reflective surface of the table. For almost an hour and a half after showing Robin the stole jewel, Tim hadn't spoken and was refusing to speak of his time with Red X.

Ellen Yin spoke soothingly, "sorry kiddo. But we need to ask you what happened to you this week."

He finally looked up hazily at Yin, "oh... nothing happened." Tim stated simply as thought he just gave and answer to an entire class. "Can I go now?"

His mother gave a scoff, "come now, Timothy, you've been gone a week. This is too important to be acting childish." Yin quirked an eyebrow at the woman's tone, sickly sweet. "Now answer the nice detective's questions." She told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder. The flinch Tim made didn't go unnoticed, Yin made a note of it.

Tim then grew annoyed, " _nothing_ happened. I was blindfolded most of the time or asleep, but that's it."

Yin sigh, "so he didn't hurt you or threaten you?"

"Yes."

"Did he threaten to hurt your parents?"

"No."

"can you tell us anything at all about Red X? Or why he gave back The giant gemstone?"

Tim paused for a moment, and then said cheerfully, "he gave me this sweet hoodie." He then flapped the long sleeve like a ragdoll. "It's fuzzy on the inside! As for The Red Queen's Heart...I don't know."

both adult women sighed in annoyance as they seemed to be getting no answers from the kid. 

* * *

"I think this kid has Stockholm syndrome," Robin stated crossing his arms. He, Batgirl and Batman were standing with Jim in the two way mirror room.

Batgirl countered, "no way, that's rare in kidnappings."

"So it doesn't mean it can't happen."

Batman listen to the two debate before he turn to the Commissioner, "perhaps, I should these two in to talk to him?"

Jim caressed his chin as he took in the words. "That could work. This boy clearly has his guard up around adults maybe he'll drop it around other kids." he then went to go inform Detective Yin over the shift in tactics. This left Batman with his squabbling partners.

* * *

"So they sent you two in to talk to me now?" Tim asked crossing his arms and frowned. His mother no longer in the room. just the three kids. "I'm going to tell you the same I told Detective Yin."

"We know, we want to know about you." Batgirl said with a smile as she sat on the table corner.

The kid gave her a skeptical look, "Really?"

"Yeah Timmy," Robin said excitedly on Tim's right. "You got any hobbies or sports you like?"

Tim seemed to smile a bit, "yeah, I like skateboarding and photography."

"Do you have a favorite color?" Batgirl asked. "I bet it's yellow."

"I-," the kid cut himself off as his face became calculating. Blue eyes growing narrow again, "I don't have a favorite color." Tim then quickly added, "Can I go home yet?"

Robin looked annoyed at Batgirl, "yeah, you can go after you answer me one last question."

Tim groaned loudly, "nothing bad happened to me, okay! Yes, I know I was kidnapped, but I don't have anything else to say. I was blindfolded and unharmed."

Robin put his hands up in defense, "okay, okay, we believe you. I just wanted to know why Red X asked me about my head?" 

"I don't know, maybe he felt bad or just used it as an excuse to get the money off of-." the kid suddenly paused and inhaled a few times until...

ACHOO! Achoo! Achoo!

"Dang it, stupid cold..." Tim muttered through his sleeve. "Sorry, can I go home now? I'm tired..."

Batgirl gave a look of disgust and sympathy, "sure kid." Robin pat then kids back while slipping a tracer under the yellow hood.

* * *

The police finally let the Drakes leave. "Finally," Jack Drake shouted. "this whole thing has been insane, now I have to make up for the cash we lost." Batman glared at the man as he ushered his family out the door. He then caught eyes flashing a look before he turned away. Something wasn't right about this whole thing; why hold a child for ransom and _not_ threaten to hurt them.

 _"I'll make sure Timmy is_ well _taken care of...and thanks for the suit."_

Red X must know the Drakes somehow, why else not harm Tim. He would have to wait and see...

* * *

The weekend soon came, and the Drakes tried to fall back into their usual routine. They were now having a family dinner.

A rarity at the Drakes' Manor.

"Honestly, Timothy, get rid of that ugly hoodie, you look like you came off the streets." Janet spoke callously to her son.

"I like it, its not hurting anybody." Tim said nervously. He took steady bites of his food. His portion was meager compared to his parents. Less than a third of theirs.

"It's a reminder that we lost 500k because you got yourself in trouble." His father said.

"Sorry... I just thought he looked cool..." The boy muttered quietly.

"Son, you just got to do better to keep from getting caught. Fight back next time, that's what strong men do."The man took a large bite of his meal.

"Yes sir. By the way, I saw your bags pack are you going on another trip?" 

"Yes we have business in Thailand and your heading off back to boarding school this Monday." His mother told him, "that means your uniform needs to be packed, _neatly_."

"Yes ma'am," Tim said. "When does your flight leave?"

"At five in the morning, so your father and I will be leaving later tonight."

"Okay..." He finished his plate, but he still felt his stomach burning in hunger. "I'm still a little hungry, can I have a little more food, please?"

"And have you getting fat like other kids? I don't think so, young man." His mother chastised and then said, "Go wash your plate off and go to bed. You have school work to catch up on." 

As Tim shuffled to the sink Jack gave a sympathetic tone, "come on Janet at least let him have dessert."

The mouse haired woman sighed, "Fine." She walked over to an overhead cabinet. It had no handle but a padlock and hinge. She turned the dial and open the door. Pulling a jar of colorful candy down. "Tim you can have one piece."

"C-can I have two?" Tim asked hopeful.

"No you get one or none at all." She told him pointedly.

"Yup, that's the rules, son. Rules don't change just because you got kidnapped," Jack said taking his wife's side.

Tim then plucked a piece of candy, "right. How silly of me. Thank you Mom." He then ate the candy and told his parents good night. He got to his room and closed the door behind him.

Throwing himself on his bed he curled into a ball. Still hungry. He laid on his bed...

And waited...

Waited for his parents to go to bed...

Waited for them to wake and leave out for their flight...

Waited for the sound of tires rolling out.

"About time, I'd thought they'd never leave." A modulated voice broke the silence of Tim's room.Tim looked to the shaded side of his room. He saw a familiar glowing red X and gasped in fright.

"Pack your bags kid, because you ain't coming back here."


	3. “Only the children know what they are looking for.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman finds something interesting about the Xenothium that might lead to Red X's capture. That is until they learn that Tim Drake is missing again...
> 
> Title from The Little Prince

Batman sat at his computer deeply analyzing the screen monitor. He was watching security feed from the night at the gala.

He saw clusters of people enter the building a group at a time. Finally he spotted the Drakes. Janet dragged Tim by the right hand as he seemed sluggish.

She then turned and said something to him. The boy gave a nod to whatever she was saying and then she left him unattended.

He wandered around somewhat aimlessly as he took pictures of the historical section. This went on for several minutes.

"You find anything that sticks out at you?" Robin asked.

"When you first met Tim did he seem off?" Bruce asked his son.

Now that he mentioned it, "he did look looked kinda pale." 

Bruce nodded noticing the way the boy seemed to stagger about slightly. Why bring the boy to a gala if he was ill? Had his parents just want him there for appearances? The research Bruce did on the boy was interesting to say the least.

Tim Drake had straight A's in most his classes except English and History. A teacher reported the boy had a hard time with reading and spelling, and said he maybe dyslexic. Despite this his parents placed him in a higher grade, then not until last year did these grades seem to pick up.

A birth certificate reported that Timothy Jackson Drake was born premature and numerous health issues. Bruce was actually surprised the boy made it to nine.

back to the footage, Robin pointed something out, "Bruce take a look at that. What's Tim pulling out of his jacket?" Bruce rewinded the film and zoomed in on Tim. He stopped taking pictures of the displays to dig something out of his pants pocket.

A disposable flip phone. it had a stylized R on the lid.

"Looks like you got a fan," Bruce commented with a smile while Robin 'hmphed'.

The duo then saw the boy look around before headed to the snack table and then the suddenly the image fizzled out and popped back in.

"Whoa, hey check out the time stamp!" Dick exclaimed pointing out the number. Ten minutes had gone missing.

"Hang on, I'll try another angle." Bruce told him as he typed away and switched cameras and took it back.

The angle chosen was the corridor that lead to the mideval historical section. The table was blocking one of the entry ways connecting to the jewel room. 

As Tim got to the table again.The red table cloth swayed as if moved by the wind and covers Tim's left shoe. At that moment the feed went out again.

Bruce tapped is chin inquisitively and rewound it farther and paused it. Both him and Robin saw a tall boy in a snug looking tux. His ebony hair was greased back with two curls.

"I don't remember him at the gala, do you?" Robin asked crossing his arms.

"No." Was all Bruce said before he fired up the computer's facial recognition computer. A juice picture showed a roughed up looking kid. "His name is Jason Todd, age twelve, lives in..." Bruce stopped. The irony was not lost him as he read the name of the street. "Park Row."

Robin, though, is ignorant of the weight that street name carries. "Cool, I'll go talk to him."

"Take Batgirl with you," Bruce said hastily and Dick scrunched his face in confusion.

"I can't, you have her researching the Xenothium and you're looking into Drake Industries." The boy reminded him, "besides, it's just a kid, kids like Robin."

"It's not the kid I'm worried about, it's the area." Bruce told him with stress in his tone.

Robin smiled, "it's Gotham, 90% of it is dangerous. I can handle myself."

Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose, "if you go alone at least keep me posted every five minutes."

"You got it, boss." Robin shouted as he excitedly left on his cycle.

* * *

Batman headed to Drake Industries. Getting in through the vents was easy. He went into the R&D department.

"Robin report." Batman demanded through comms.

The Boy Wonder sighed heavily, "ya know when you said five minutes, I didn't think you actually meant five minutes." It had been forty minutes since ethier of them left the cave.

"Have you talked to the Todd boy yet?"

"No, but I've been tailing him. He went to a convenance store, and then talked to some blond girl. I think he's heading home."

Batman looked around the place with a blacklight flashlight. "Alright, keep an eye on him and-"

"Keep you posted, I know. Then the comms went off. As Bruce looked to the X file cabinet he noticed red glitter-like dust on the drawer. Scanning doward there were multiple footprints covered in the red dust. It only appeared when Batman turned off the flashlight.

It didn't appear before he had the light on before.

Batman then called Barbara to see what she found."Batgirl, did you find anything on the xenothium?"

"Not much is known about this stuff. So far the only significant things about it is it's value and in reacts oddly in light. As soon as it touches light it acts like a solar panel and starts to glow."

"Like phosphorus." Batman comments as he looks for information.

"Yeah but a little more than that, the glow could last for an entire year depending on how much light it absorbed, even giving of an energy of its own."

Batman paused a moment and thought back to the gala night. Thought back to the jewel Red X stole.

"It wasn't glowing." Batman then saw more red dust on a folder labeled 'X suit' short for xenothium suit.

It was empty.

* * *

Robin was watching Jason Todd enter his apartment and turneing on the lights. Just as Robin entered in the living room window. Jason shouted from the connected kitchen, "hey, Mouse, I'm home. I'm about to make dinner."

"What are you making," Robin asked smirking as he sat on the couch, proping his foot on his knee. Jason jumped and threw a pan toward the boy. It would have hit him if Robin didn't duck.

"Who are you?!" Jason said with full fury in his voice. "And why are you in my home?!"

Robin put his hands up in defense, "whoa, chill kid, I'm not here to hurt you. I just have some questions for you."

The boy's gaurd lessened, "you, you're the Bat's bird kid, ain't cha? Whatever kinda questions ya got for me, I ain't answering."

"They're about Tim Dake."

"What makes you think I know a Tim Drake?" Jason questioned annoyed.

"Footage from Gotham meusume catches you two in the same vicinity. You hid under a snack table and tap his foot. Now how do you know each other? What were you doing there the night at the gala.

The boy crosses his arms in defeat, " Tim owed me money." Jason muttered shamefully.

Robin rose an eyebrow, "seriously you were mugging a little kid?"

Jason looked offended, "it's not like that!" He then spoke calmly, "He pays me for tutoring lessons. He wasn't gonna be able pay me like he normally does and he asked me to come get the money at the party."

Dick looked at Jason in disbelief, "and how does an nine year old boy from a high income area find a twelve year tutor in a low income area?"

Jason shrugged, "you're the junior detective around here, Bird Wonder. Maybe you should take a look at the kid's parents. They let him roam Gotham by himself; they probably want him dead."

"Why would they want that? They just got him back from being kidnapped." Robin said looking confused.

Jason barked a laugh, "your folks must have _loved_ you. Not everybody whom becomes a parent is so caring. Some of us get the short end of the stick no matter how rich you are."

Robin wondered what he meant when a small figure walked in the room. It was a girl no more than seven. She had black hair and grey eyes, almond shaped. She wore a large t-shirt gown and just stared at Robin.

Jason's face softened at the girl, "hey Mouse. Ya hungry?" The tall looking twelve year old got to her eye level.

The girl nodded rapidly and then pointed at Robin. 

"Who's this? This is Robin, he's Gotham's very first boy traffic light."

"Hey!" Now Dick was offended.

"Raaabun?" She asked softly an Jason nodded. Robin looked confused at Jason. In turn Jason said.

"She can't speak, Tim and I found her three months ago. We call her Mouse cause she's so quiet. It's temporary until she can tell us her real name."

"Where are her parents?"

"Don't know. They probably ditched her."

"Where are yours then? They can't be okay with a random kid in there place." Jason was turned away from Robin, fixing himself and Mouse a meal.

"My old man got offed by Two-Face's gang and my Ma is... working late, so no one's complaining."

That's a lie, Robin noted but didn't push it. He heard horror stories of Gotham's child services.

Robin got ready to leave, and reports to Batman. He then turned back to Jason as he finished making omelettes. " Hey if you see Tim, tell him I said hi."

"Will do Boy Wonder." Jason called and then Robin left. Not noticing the coy smirk and extra plate of food.

* * *

Batman and Robin made it back to the cave with the information they gathered. Tim's rise in grades was because he hired Jason as a tutor. Jason doesn't like Tim's parents. Robin them went to bed because it was Wednesday and a school night.

Bruce for his part wrote of the xenothium and its properties. He the went to see if his hunch was correct and looked at the footage with filter to show the ore.

The Red Queen's Heart on display was a fake. Red X must have known.

Before Batman could take a look farther into the hiest, though, GCPD called.

Tim Drake was gone again.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not used to ao3 chapter formatting. It;s so different from ff.net


End file.
